Burial appliance.



PATBNTBD DBO. 12, 1905.

J. W. SHULL. BURIAL APPLIANGB.

APPLICATION FILED MAEJB, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lllllllllV vNo. 806,998.

No. 900,999. l l PATENTED 090.12, 1905. J W. sHULL.

BURIAL APPLIANGE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 11911.19, 1905. 2 SEEETS SHBET 2 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE,

JACOB W. SHULL, OF SPRINGCHURCH, PENNSYLVANIA'.

BURIAL APPLIANCE.

To rif/ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JACOB W; SHULL, residing at Springchurch, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Burial Appliance,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which generally relates to burial appliances, is in the nature of an improved shipping or casket-receiving box, and it seeks to provide a box of this character equipped with means for covering or lining the walls of the grave, so as to remove so far as possible the sight of the earthen sides and ends of the grave during the operation of lowering the casket containing the body into the grave.

With the above and other objects in View, which will hereinafter appear, my invention comprehends a means attachable to the ordinary casket-receiving box adapted to be ad-- justed to cover the sides and ends with a;

- grave, and which when the coiiin has been lowered will fold down upon each other and within the box, certain details of construction and combination of parts being also embodied in my invention, all of which will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-l Figure 1 is a perspective of a burial-box equipped with my improvements, part of the lid being broken away to show the location of the lining members. Fig. 2 is a view of a grave, showing the flexible attachments elevated to line the walls of the grave. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same, taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section thereof on the line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating a modified arrangement of the lining members, the same being shown composed of light wires having extensible ends.

In the simplest, cheapest, and preferred form my invention comprises a pair of side members t a' and a pair of end members b',

- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed March 18, 1905. Serial No. 250.705.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

the side members being of the full length of the box B between its ends B B and the end members being of the full width of the said box, and the side members have a height equal or slightly less than that of the width of the box B, so that when folded down as shown in Fig. 4 the said side members t c' will iit between the sides of the box B, and the ends I) are of a height suiiicient when raised as shown in Fig. 2 to extend up to the top of the grave. To provide for completely covering the sides of the grave to the top, the side members a a are provided with supplemental sections L hinged to the outer edge of said members a a by a flexible strip 2 to fold back over the said members a a when the parts are down under the lid B2, as best shown in Fig. 4, by reference to which it will be seen the lid B2 may be hinged to the top of the box B.

The inner face of the side and end members a a and b', as also the supplemental side sections az, are covered on their inner face with a lace or other neat fabric O, preferably similar to the lining of an ordinary casket, and the said fabric C is made of sufficient fullness to fold or lap plait-like, the purpose of which I will now explain.

In cutting the grave-opening the same is longer and wider than the rough receivingbox to permit of freely lowering it to the bottom of the grave. To provide for completely covering the walls of the grave with the lining, I form at the extreme ends of the side members extensible sections 10 and l0, which are joined to the side members by the fabric facing C, and by reason of the fullness of said facing the ends 10 and 10a when the members@ and 0; are swung out of the box B can be extended to fit close up into the corners of the grave, as clearly shown in the drawings, to which position the said ends 10 10 until the cofiin has been lowered are held by pins or pegs D, driven through the said ends 10 10 into the walls of the grave. The end members b 7) are likewise extensible lateraliy, and for such purpose they are split their full height and also connected by the facing fabric, which for the said ends b b' also has sulficient fullness to provide for folds or plaits when the sections that compose the ends b contract. To draw the two members that Aform the ends b" normally together, so that the said ends b will readily fold down into the box, elastic cords F are attached to the- IOO back of the upper edges thereof, similar cords E being attached to the side members a e and their supplemental sections, as shown. The side and end members a d and Z) b, which are preferably composed of cardboard, thin veneer, and the like, are hinged to the upper edge of the box B by the flexible hinge portions G, as shown.V

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawings, the complete structure of the simplest and cheapest form of my invention will be readily apparent.

The box is lowered into the grave as usual, the lid of the box B then opened in the usual manner, and one ofthe side members a is then swung up or unfolded, its ends extended to snugly fit up into the corner of the grave, and the said member a made fast to its position by the pegs or nails D. The end members b b are then likewise swung up, adjusted, and made fast, and then the other side member a is fixed in position, thus completely lining the side walls of the grave and effecting a neat and presentable grave, ready to receive the casket. After the casket is lowered the side a is folded down on the top of the casket, then the ends, and then the other side a', the supplemental upper sections of the sides being folded back, after which the lid B2 is closed and the grave left ready for filling.

Instead of using card board, thin veneer, and the like, as stated, for the side and end members they may be formed of light exible wire members, arranged as shown in Fig. 5, in which the ends a have a hinged connection with the inside of the box B and the upper portions 5n are connected to the crossbar a, the two portions a5 and a6 being formed integrally with each other and of springy material to normally assume such a position that under normal conditions the frame will swing down into the box B, it being understood that when the modified form of my invention is used the end members thereof are likewise formed of iiexible wire sections and the fabric or lining material is stitched or otherwise made fast to the said wire frames.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A burial appliance comprising a casketreceptacle, a box and means carried thereon foldable within the said box and extensible from the sides and ends of the box to form a lining for the walls of the grave.

2. An attachment for burial-boxes, consisting of a frame adapted to be hinged to the upper edge of the box to fold therein, said frame having a covering and adapted to be swung up over the wall of the grave to form a lining therefor.

8. An attachment for burial-boxes, which comprises a frame ladapted to be hinged to the box to fold therein and to be swung up against the side of the grave, said frame having extensible end portions, and a fabric covering for the said frame.

4. An attachment for burial-boxes which comprises a flexible frame hinged to the box to fold therein and to swing up against the wall of the grave, said frame having extensible end portions', means for drawing the ends inwardly, a fabric loosely mounted on the frame for the purposes described.

5. In combination with the box B, the side and end frames formed of a flexible material hinged at their lower end to the inner side of the upper edges of the box, said frames having extensible end sections, spring devices for drawing the end sections normally inward and a iiexible body wholly covering the said frames, and having suiiicient fullness to permit of drawing out the end portions of the said end and side members for the purposes specified.

JACOB W. SHULL.

l Witnesses:

S. A. SHOEMAKER, JNO. Q. CooHRANn. 

